Adrius stood still while scanning the darkened forest around him. The atmosphere was thick with an unnatural energy and the shadows seeming to shift as if alive. He know that sothing was very wrong here.
His heart pounded in his chest as fear creeping up his spine. He had never felt anything like this in years. Despite his decades of experience the unease gnawed at him, a primal instinct warning him of the danger that had yet to co.
For a mont there was only silence. Then the soft rustle of leaves broke the stillness. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the direction of the sound. From the shadows, a figure began to erge, stepping into the dim light that filtered through the dense canopy above.
The man wore a robe of deep crimson like the color of fresh blood. Its fabric shimring slightly in the low light as if the blood that made his robe is moving.
As he ca closer, Adrius's breath caught in his throat. The face that erged from the shadows was one he had hoped never to see again. It is really him.
Theron.
The man who stood before him looked exactly as he had on the day of his execution, unchanged by the passage of ti by so mysterious and dark power. His features were sharp, handso, but also with an air of cruel arrogance. His eyes glead with intelligence and a smirk played on his lips as he looked at Adrius.
"Hello, Adrius my old friend," Theron said, his voice smooth, carrying an unsettling familiarity. "You've gotten old. How are you doing till now? I guess you still rember ."
Adrius felt his jaw tighten.
"Theron..." Adrius muttered.
"Yes. It's been a long ti, hasn't it? But so things, it seems, never change."
"What have you done, Theron?" Adrius demanded. "How are you still alive?"
Theron chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down Adrius's spine. "Oh, Adrius, there's so much you don't know. Death is just a doorway, after all. I have learned to step through that door as I please now."
His smile twisted into sothing more sinister.
"But enough about . I'm more interested in you. Tell , Adrius, how has life treated you all these years? Still the loyal servant of the crown? Still the righteous Mage, bound by the chains of morality?"
Adrius stared at Theron. He could feel the cold air around them growing thicker with dark energy. Yet, despite the fear gnawing at him, Adrius refused to give in to the taunts of this man who had beco sothing else.
Adrius ignoring Theron's question and asked, "Is it really true, then? Are you the one who turned those beasts and sent them to attack the kingdom?"
Theron's smile remained, his eyes full with satisfaction. "Of course its , Adrius. Who else could it be? Who else has the knowledge, power, and the burning hatred for a kingdom that dared to underestimate my talents?"
"It's not talent. It's madness. A madness that needed to be stopped, and thankfully, the kingdom did just that." Adrius's expression hardened and replied with sharp voice.
Hearing that, Theron's smile beco even widenr. "Madness, you say? But look where that so-called madness has led . I have transcended death, Adrius. I have beco the servant of a true god. A god that understand my passion and my desire."
Adrius frowned. A servant of a god? This was far more than he had anticipated. He had thought Theron was driven by vengeance alone but now it seed there was sothing far more sinister at play.
"You an the Great Calamity?" Adrius asked.
Theron's grin widened. "Is that what you call it now? Oh, Adrius, you misunderstand. It's not a calamity, but salvation."
Adrius felt a chill run through him at Theron's words. Is Theron suddenly beco one of the harbinger for the Great Calamity now? That seems about right considering the power he now wield and his veneration to it.
"And what does this salvation entail, Theron?" Adrius asked, he tried to keep the conversation going and draw more information from him.
"A new world, Adrius. A world that will purge the weak and cleansed of the chains that bind it. The Great Power I now serve will reshape everything, and I will stand at its side as the architect of this new reality. It's not madness, Adrius, it's destiny."
Adrius tightened his grip on his staff, his resolve hardening. "If that's your destiny, Theron, then I'll do everything in my power to stop you."
Theron's smile faded, his expression turning cold and serious. "You've always been a stubborn one. But this ti, you're standing against sothing far greater than you can imagine. Prepare yourself, old friend. Nobody can stop it."
With that, the air around Theron began to shimr with dark energy, the shadows deepening and swirling around him as he prepared to unleash his power. Adrius knew this would be the battle of his life and he steeled himself. He can not run from him.
A sudden crackling sound filled the air, before Theron could react a powerful pillar of lightning shot through the darkened forest striking with the force of a spear hurled by imnse power. The air sizzled and sparked as the lightning tore through the shadows, illuminating the forest in a blinding flash.
Adrius had known this. He had felt the familiar presence of Lysander monts before, sensed the gathering of his power as he prepared to strike. Now at the perfect mont Lysander had unleashed his attack.
The bolt of lightning slamd into Theron from his front, catching him completely off guard. The sheer force of the impact lifted Theron off the ground and make his body convulsing as the electricity coursed through him.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed as the lightning collided with Theron, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest.
The blast lit up the night, casting shadows as trees shook and leaves were torn from their branches. Adrius shielded his eyes from the intense brightness, feeling the heat and energy of the blast wash over him. The lightning dissipated few monts later, leaving behind a smoldering and charred ground where Theron had stood.
For a mont, there was only silence in the aftermath of the powerful attack.
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